You know, after all its hype of embryonic stem cell research over the years, I can’t help but think that the MSM is a little frustrated that they have not been able to report on any actual benefits from these cells. Meanwhile the success of adult stem cells is getting harder for them to ignore. The headline: Adult stem cell research far ahead of embryonic. Umm…a little late to the party there, folks, but thanks for finally taking notice:

For all the emotional debate that began about a decade ago on allowing the use of embryonic stem cells, it’s adult stem cells that are in human testing today. An extensive review of stem cell projects and interviews with two dozen experts reveal a wide range of potential treatments.

Adult stem cells are being studied in people who suffer from multiple sclerosis, heart attacks and diabetes. Some early results suggest stem cells can help some patients avoid leg amputation. Recently, researchers reported that they restored vision to patients whose eyes were damaged by chemicals.

Apart from these efforts, transplants of adult stem cells have become a standard lifesaving therapy for perhaps hundreds of thousands of people with leukemia, lymphoma and other blood diseases.

“That’s really one of the great success stories of stem cell biology that gives us all hope,” says Dr. David Scadden of Harvard, who notes stem cells are also used to grow skin grafts.

“If we can recreate that success in other tissues, what can we possibly imagine for other people?”

Read more and see my archive for a lengthy list of ASCR therapeutic successes.